


Our life is made up of moments

by I_Write_Midnight_Snacks



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Just a lot of Saeran-centric fluff, Saeyoung is a dork, Spoilers, Will probably contain different types of spoilers so yeah, because the child deserves to be happy, dumb stuff, other characters to be added - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-08-27 23:30:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8421889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Write_Midnight_Snacks/pseuds/I_Write_Midnight_Snacks
Summary: She kept smiling at him that way; with a certain warmth that nobody had directed towards him before, as if he hadn’t been the one to break into her apartment and nearly kidnap her, nearly expose her to a life of hurt.
    
  
Our life is made up of moments. For Saeran, the most important ones are those spent with the others; The moments that make him think, even for a bit, that maybe it's ok for him to open up and be a part of something.(Is this was having a family is like?)Just a series of fluffy oneshots, centered around the youngest of the Choi brothers, and his road to recovery and redemption, with the RFA there to help him every step of the way. Beware of the Fluff.





	1. Pillow Forts are Stupid

**Author's Note:**

> I finished this game, and have been unable to stop thinking about the twins ever since. They are wonderful, and deserve to be happy, and so that's exactly what I'm going to give them.
> 
> A lot of fluff from this point on.
> 
> Un Beta-ed, so if anybody has any sugestion, I would love to hear them in the comments.

It was stupid. It was childish.

Mild annoyance was written on Saeran’s face as his two new housemates loudly convened with each other as if the thing they were talking about was something of great importance, when they were, in fact, seated in the middle of a pile of blankets and pillows, fighting over that one pillow that both of them ‘absolutely needed in order to make this the Best Pillow Fort Ever’!

Somehow, Saeran had been roped into donating his own pillows and blanket for the cause, but he absolutely refused to participate in the childish display.

Now, though, he was stuck looking at the two as they passionately tried to plan their fort in order for it to be as comfortable as possible, both laughing freely as they made stupid jokes and started stupid fights over their stupid fort.

_It was stupid. It was childish. It was everything the twins had never gotten to experience and enjoy at the normal age, everything they had missed in their childhood. It was everything that Saeyoung was now doing in order to make up for what he had missed during his upbringing. It was everything that Saeran wished he could bring himself to enjoy and indulge in - but he was too awkward for that, too fucked up on the inside. And maybe, just maybe, he still felt too guilty whenever he looked at them in order to bring himself to properly join their activities._

A plate of sweets was placed on the table, one which the younger twin was eyeing hungrily, but he knew it was meant to be enjoyed while watching a movie, so he stopped himself from going behind Saeyoung’s back and snatching some. The fort was nearly done by that time, anyway. He was reluctant to admit that it looked extremely comfortable, more like a small nest where you could sit and ignore the outside world, and maybe Saeran wished that he would have taken part in building it, but he would never admit to that, and it was too late, anyway. He’d just sit on the couch, pretend to watch the movie, and then go to sleep.

His brother was placing the last pillow just as she was standing up to grab the sweets, and all Saeran could do was stare at the plate longingly.

_Saeran spent a lot of time staring at things longingly. That seemed to come hand in hand with being too awkward to talk to people about stuff. He felt like he was justified in that, though. His brother was one thing; they were working on talking to each other and improving their relationship and Saeran could never possibly find the words to express how grateful and happy he was about that. Everyone else, though, was still a sore spot for the younger twin. How was he supposed to interact with people whose lives he had put in danger? How was he supposed to interact with his brother’s fiance, who he had tried to kidnap? He was completely oblivious to how to properly act in society in the best of cases, and his past with this particular group was far from the best of cases. ___

_He wished he knew how to talk to her. But for now, he would just have to settle for staring longingly._

__“Saeran!” the boy jumped, pulled out of his thoughts by the sudden calling of his name, and he looked over to find two pairs of eyes fixed onto him. He fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable under the attention, but reminded himself that neither one of the pair would have any bad intentions. “We’re about to play the movie. Come on.” for a few seconds, he was sidetracked completely by the warm, effortless smile she was giving him._ _

___She kept smiling at him that way; with a certain warmth that nobody had directed towards him before, as if he hadn’t been the one to break into her apartment and nearly kidnap her, nearly expose her to a life of hurt._ _ _

__Soon enough, though, her words registered, and he blinked in confusion. Hoping for some explanation, he turned his eyes to his twin, who was just looking at him with that same expectant expression. After several seconds of nothing happening, she muffled a giggle (Saeran may have died a little but shh), awkwardly twisted from her position in the fort to take his hand (and she moved so slowly, giving him time to realise what she was doing and pull back and she was just really thoughtful), and when he didn’t react, she gently pulled him over._ _

__Saeyoung and her were already cuddled together in between the pillows. She was leaning up against the older twin, his arm around her waist, under her top where it was making gentle caressing motions on her skin. Their legs were intertwined in what should have been an uncomfortable position but it somehow worked for them. Awkwardly, he allowed himself to be guided down into the pillow fort with them. Once there, a cup with some warm beverage was shoved into his hands -sage tea, he would soon find out-, a blanket was draped over him and the plate of sweets was placed precariously on her lap ‘so that they could all easily reach’. He was softly tugged closer to the girl, one of her arms embracing him around his shoulders, coming to play with his hair. He relaxed gradually into the hold, deciding to enjoy the touch, rather than fear it, and hesitantly, he let his head rest on her shoulder._ _

__Thankfully, neither one of them said anything more. He appreciated that - the fact that despite how much both Her and his brother always talked, they always accepted his silence. Even when he knew he was being awkward with something, they would patiently help him through the motions without pressuring him into anything. It was… comfortable, being around them, and so, he decided, maybe it would be ok to be comfortable in their embrace, too. It was warm, and soft._ _

__His body relaxed from the stiff posture he unconsciously held all the time, and he focused on the screen, rather than the feelings welling up inside him and threatening to drown him. This was alright for now. He didn’t need to understand everything yet. Here, with these two, he could take his time to unravel the mess of feelings inside of him, knowing that they wouldn’t rush him._ _

_Or at least, he hoped it would stay that way, that they would always be this nice, but then… who was he to hope?_

__The movie began with a random shot of dry grass, followed by a random shot of several chairs, followed by a random shot of a man. This was the beginning to what would be the most surreal experience in his life yet -and he’d been drugged up, his mind a haze, for 8 entire years of his life._ _

__He hadn’t seen a lot of movies in his life, only really the few since he had moved in with Saeyoung, but even he could recognise how awful this one was. He had so many mean remarks to make that he had to stuff himself with sweets to stop himself from letting them out - _he really didn’t want to let on how awful and mean and fucked up he was as a person, didn’t want to let them see even more of his ugly sides than they had_ \- but every single time, one of them would make a similar comment._ _

__‘How long is it just going to roll? Like, half the movie passed already, move on!'  
‘What the fuck, what would you even call this? Reverse tire-filia?’  
‘And I thought Sharknado was bad!’  
‘Why psychic powers though, this is so bad!’  
‘Just move over the fucking can already it’s been 5 years!’  
‘Wow ok Rude!’ 

Every time, they’d laugh, and he would let the sound wash over him and - _oh, was this what having a family felt like?_

_Don’t get ahead of yourself; call them family? They just have to live with you here, is all._

__He pushed down that voice, the one that always reminded him of his worst thoughts, and focused on the movie and on them. He missed their shared looks every time he joined in a little on their laughter, missed the way that they left him more than half of the sweets for that evening, missed whatever had happened that lead to him curled up with his head in her lap._ _

__He didn’t, however, miss any of their comments, nor the way that her fingers were playing with his hair, nor did he miss the fact that the movie was over but still nobody had moved from their place, just enjoying the silent comfort of being together,_ _

__To everyone’s surprise, it was Saeran himself that broke the silence, speaking his first words towards the other two ever since he had agreed to lend his pillows for the fort earlier that evening. “Hey… what’s Sharknado?” he asked hesitantly, curious ever since Saeran had mentioned the word during the movie._ _

__He definitely didn’t miss the dangerous smiles they directed towards each other at those words._ _


	2. Mug-cakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC feels like having something sweet; Saeran has a sweet tooth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once without a beta-reader, but I do hope everyone enjoys it.
> 
> Mug cakes are a gift from the gods.  
> That's all I have to say.

Saeran may have been socially inapt, but he wasn’t completely oblivious. Every day, without mistake, either Saeyoung would invite him to the toy shop to hang out, MC would take a day off, or one of the others would invite him for a random day out. Honestly, it wasn’t that hard to figure out that they didn’t want to leave him on his own.

 

Considering everything, though, Saeran wasn’t particularly surprised, nor could he be mad at them. On the contrary - even though for a long time after joining the RFA, he had been more than a little uncomfortable around people, at this point, the constant company was nice. Everyone was surprisingly comfortable to be around, and when he was with someone, listening to their talk or silently enjoying some tranquil activity, the thoughts in his head quieted down. He no longer had to listen to his own voice, telling him that he deserved none of this, or reminding him of everything he’d done, or trying to convince him that all of this was a dream.

 

Even so, of these times, perhaps his favourites were those days when MC would take a day off of work and just spend the day with him. Maybe it was selfish to think that way, but it was how Saeran felt. She was so easy to be around for him; she was funny enough - had to be if she were to survive dating his brother -, but also gently, without being overbearing in the way that Saeyoung sometimes was. Somehow she always seemed to pick up on his mood.

 

Usually they’d either sit at home, watching anime together - he’d found her watching one at one point, and had discovered that he rather enjoyed watching them together with her -, or reading a book. Sometimes, they’d go out and take a walk, maybe go to some cafe, and at those times she always encouraged him to try out new flavours. Sometimes they’d buy ice-cream together, which always made him feel happier than he felt was justified.

 

Today was one of the particularly peaceful days. They were sitting on the couch together; that is, he was sitting, while she was laying curled up next to him, reading some text on her phone, much like he was doing. This sort of silent companionship was not unusual for them, and they could spent a long time this way, only interrupted by her occasional giggle or vocal comment towards whatever she was reading. That was why he was a little surprised when she suddenly stood up. She stretched out her arms, and the proceeded to look down at him with a dazzling smile - one which might have just blinded him for a few seconds open and expectant.

 

“I feel like having something sweet to eat. Want to join me?” she offered, her eyes wide with hope and Saeran’s heart might have skipped a beat.

 

Pretensing that his insides weren’t melting, he nodded, his only verbal response a mumbled ‘sure’. They walked together towards the rarely-used kitchen that she had stocked up with some food since moving in with the twins. “Uh… do we have any sweets?” He tried not to let on how eager he was for the sweets, looking around impassively.

 

She chuckled - Saeran lost a few years of his life while his mind rebooted - and gave him a conspiratorial smile. “Actually, I was thinking we could make something. I know you like sweets and there are so many delicious things aside from convenience store candy.” that said, she began opening doors and drawers, presumably taking out whatever things they would need. Saeran’s cheeks turned pink at her observation though, a bit embarrassed that his sweet tooth was apparently such common knowledge.

 

“My guess is, you’ve never had a Mug Cake before, which is honestly a sin, because those things are literally the work of the gods upon the earth.” she explained, not without the exagerated voice and dramatic flair that was only to be expected of his brother’s Fiance. In response, Saeran looked on at her, no more knowledgeable than he had been a few seconds before.

 

She sighed, looking towards the sky as if to say ‘what can you even do’. “Ok so Mug Cakes are some of the most convenient things ever. It’s like you’re baking a cake, but it’s smaller and it only takes a few minutes, which is honestly _so convenient_ when you’re feeling like having a quick snack.”

 

A small breath of amusement left Saeran, and maybe he even cracked the smallest smile, looking at the way she was getting more and more excited over whatever cake she was trying to explain, a certain twinkle in her eye growing stronger by the word.

 

“They’re also _really_ good, and you can make them with barely anything at all. Truly a snack above all other snacks, the supreme food of the lazy, the ultimate snack for cold times.” Saeran snorted amusedly in response to her theatrics. MC could give Saeyoung a run for his money when it came to being a drama-queen.

 

“I’m not sure if I believe you.” he answered her, the small smile on his lips giving away the fact that he was, in fact, teasing.

 

Catching on, MC was quick to counter him with “In that case I suppose I’ll have to prove it to you. Why, I shall make you eat your words for doubting me when it comes to my supreme knowledge of everything Mug-cake related.” She placed a hand to her chest in an offended pose, too dramatic to be anything but fake. Still, Saeran played along, and he supposed maybe he could see, just a bit, why Saeyoung and her enjoyed acting like this all the time.

 

“I will accept your challenge then, but do not think you can sway me easily.” he retorted, hoping that he wasn’t taking this too far _oh god was he being too mean?_ , but thankfully he knew that MC understood this type of humour; it would be fine, he reminded himself, he didn’t need to mind his every word.

 

“Nevertheless, I will do just that. You shall see!” she declared finally, both of them meeting the other’s eyes challengingly for a few seconds before the act was broken as she burst into laughter, and even Saeran chuckled a bit.

 

“Oh god, that was awful.” she said in-between breaths of laughter. “Thanks for playing along, Saeran. How about we get this thing started?” and with those words, she managed to melt away all of Saeran’s anxieties.

 

They began working on the snacks, and he was surprised to find that it really was as easy as she had claimed. They both took one of the two mugs she had previously gotten ready, and MC guided him through the motions. He had been surprised to find her taking out a plate with baked pumpkin from the fridge, since he’d had no idea that she’d baked any pumpkin in the first place.

 

Noticing his questioning glance, she explained that she had made it a couple of days before, as there were always a lot of recipes she could do where pumpkin worked really well, ranging from her morning coffee to the cake they were about to make. She cut a few smaller bits, placing them into a bowl with a bit of butter and proceeding to mash them into a paste, explaining how it would give the cakes a soft texture, and besides, come on, it was autumn - eating recipes with pumpkin was basically a rule, or so she’d said.

 

With the promise of sweets, he was more than happy to follow her lead, and soon enough,  
A bit of the mashed pumpkin paste had been scooped into both of their mugs, Saeran adding the dry ingredients, as well as the milk, to it as MC seemed to be rummaging around for something, all-the-while chattering away about silly things. This was nice, Saeran decided. He could get used to doing this more often.

 

“Bingo! Hooray! Call the cameras for the final quest was completed - the Ginger has been spotted!” she exclaimed behind him, and Saeran had to hold back a sigh at the reminder that she was still, in fact, the same woman who had willingly and actively decided to tie herself to his twin brother for life.

 

None-the-less, he made way for her to grate a bit of ginger into both mugs, handin Saeran his own so they could stir everything together for themselves. It was only really a few minutes since they had begun, and already they had their mugs, about half-way filled with the mixture that was supposed to turn into a delicious treat. Saeran had high expectations from the treat after MC had advertised it as she had.

 

Smiling eagerly at him, she turned to their microwave, placing her own mug in and gesturing for him to do the same. He complied, sliding it in next to hers, and according to MC, they were basically done. They both waited eagerly, staring straight into the microwave with anticipation pulsating in the air around them as the three minutes passed for the cakes to be ready.

 

The ding of the microwave was loud in the silence but they didn’t mind, instead MC rushing to get their cakes out and finally enjoy them.  
~~ Saeran gulped. He felt his mouth water as he gazed down upon the steaming treat in his mug, giving warmth to his hands as he held it. The smell of ginger and spices wafted over him, and he slowly moved the tea-spoon closer to the cake, almost in a trance as he was faced with the appealing dessert.

 

The trance was broken by the giggle next to him. He looked suddenly up at MC, having nearly forgotten that she was there. She was smiling at him with amusement - it never failed to surprise him, the variety of her expressions, the number of different feelings she could express, how even a smile could mean so many different things on her face. He forced himself back to reality after a few seconds, only then realising that she was speaking.

 

“It’s not gonna bite, you know.” she finished, and Saeran assumed that she had said something before that but he was at least certain that he caught her meaning either way. Nodding once to her, he once again returned his attention to his mug.

 

He gulped. It was still as appealing as before, but this time he brought himself to just stab the spoon into it -not like stabbing with a knife, not like stabbing with a knife-, and finally he ate.

 

It was really good. The very top layer was slightly crusty in the most satisfying of ways, while the inside was fluffy and sweet and all the spices just came together. It left a pleasant warmth behind as he swallowed and took a second to just savour it.

 

Once again he was broken out of his thought by a giggle, but this time the slight scowl he directed only seemed to make MC laugh harder. “Ladies and gentlemen welcome back, we are here with Saeran, ready for his official declaration about how much he enjoyed the cake and how he had, in fact, been wrong!”

 

He suddenly remembered their previous exchange in the kitchen, and felt his ears become warm. Snorting, he looked away. The treat was amazing, but he wasn’t going to admit that out loud, not that MC didn’t already know. She laughed a second more before finally digging into her own cake. Suddenly, it was quiet. Both of them were content to enjoy their treat in silent company. MC had picked up her phone and resumed reading her text, while Saeran focused himself on the cake.

 

Minutes passed in silence. Eventually he was finished eating, so he merely leaned back on the couch, relaxing his body. He felt nice - he felt content. It was hard to believe that only a few months before, he had tried to hurt the very girl who was now reading quietly next to him. He was ever grateful for the patience everyone had shown him, and even though often, his bad thoughts returned with a vengeance and he seemed to nearly regress back into his old mentality - even though, sometimes, he felt all that old pain, that crushing loneliness and agony he had suffered for years, fall down on his shoulders like a burden he would carry forever, it was moment like these, when he was content and, dare he say it, happy, that everything became just a bit more bearable.


	3. Not Alone at Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _She hadn’t been there for everything in their lives, but she was here now. And while she couldn’t understand everything they would always feel, that was alright. Because at the end of the day, what they needed was for someone to be there for them, and remind them that they weren’t alone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again non beta-ed; if anyone would like to offer their beta services, I would be very happy to accept~
> 
> This chapter picks up where the other one left off. There's a bit more angst in this one than the previous ones, but sometimes, that's necessarry to enhance the fluff, and it's still fluffy.
> 
> Also starting next chapter, some of the other RFA members will start showing up, so look forward to that~
> 
> In other news, who is still extatic over Yuri on Ice? Because I sure as hell haven't found my chill yet.

It was a normal occurrence, for Saeyoung - returning home, only to stop in front of the final door and dread going inside, dread finding his room messy and empty, as it had been all those years. Dread finding out that everything had been nothing but a cruel fantasy - because how could it not be? He had spent all those years telling himself - _Knowing_ that he could never be happy.

 

Every day, alone on that hallway, he tried to convince himself that _it’s fine either way, don’t be a coward, just go inside already you loser!_

 

Today, his anxieties seemed to hit him hard - it had been a good day at the shop, but mentally, he felt more vulnerable than he had for weeks, and it was so hard, getting himself to take the final steps inside.

 

Today, unlike any other day, every single trace of worry or anxiety left his body in a rush the moment he stepped inside. Instead a wave of warmth and fondness washed over him.

 

He took out his phone to quickly snap a picture - one that was just for him, that he would never share with anyone because this was the one thing he wanted to keep close to himself.

 

Silently, he made his way inside the house to his and MC’s room, grabbing a blanket from their bed, going back with it to drape it over the two sleeping soundly on the couch. He took another picture, just because they were too cute. Cuddled up together on the couch, Saeran leaning against MC, who was in turn leaning against the armrest. His head was resting on her shoulder, her arms lightly circling his torso, holding him in a gentle, safe embrace even as they were sleeping.

 

It seemed to Saeyoung as if the two had fallen asleep by accident, falling against each other as they did - her phone was dropped next to her on the couch, while Saeran’s was discarded in his lap. There were two mugs on the table in front of them.

 

Saeyoung smiled. This was fine. He still had his anxieties and fears - they wouldn’t leave him any time soon - but now he had his family with him, and everything would be ok.

There was a weight holding MC down, and her body felt heavy, as if she were underwater, and her limbs were made from lead, and all she really wanted was to succumb back into the sleep that her mind was still clinging onto. Soon enough though she registered the reason why she’d woken up in the first place - the disheartening sound of sobs and broken pleas right next to her - and that was what finally anchored her into reality. She couldn’t remember falling asleep, but it didn’t take more than a second upon opening her eyes to realise what had happened, and her focus was back on Saeran, shaking and crying in her arms.

 

She absently registered the sound of footsteps approaching them as she gently shook Saeran, calling out for him to _wake up, it’s ok, it’s only a nightmare!_ Soon enough, Saeyoung was kneeling by the two of them and Saeran’s mint eyes had snapped open - and by God, he looked terrified and ready to jump and run any second.

 

“Saeran.” that was Saeyoung, holding his hands out to his brother who was sitting up, still looking like a scared animal in headlights. There was something in Saeyoung’s tone - it sounded a bit shaky, with an undertone of fear that MC picked up on, but more than that, he sounded gentle and assured. MC watched the interaction, surprised to once again see this serious, brotherly side of Saeyoung’s, but knowing that this was the time to back down. Nobody understood the twins’ fears as well as each other. 

 

“Saeran, it’s ok. Look at me, Saeran - you’re safe. You’re not in that place, it was just a dream. You’re safe, Saeran.” Now Saeyoung couldn’t exactly be certain what his brother had dreamt - not any more, not with everything in their pasts, but he damn well knew what his brother needed to hear, and he made sure to say it until Saeran understood. His hands eventually found Saeran’s shoulders, which he held gently, but firmly, physically trying to anchor him into the present, and away from his memories.

 

Saeran was still looking distressed, looking like MC hadn’t seen him for a long time. However little by little, his eyes were clearing, seemingly focusing on the face of his brother before him. He blinked, his shoulders relaxing under his brother’s touch. He opened his mouth to speak. His voice cracked, his face crumbled, and he looked absolutely devastated.

 

MC felt like it was a privilege as much as it was an intrusion, for her to be there, witnessing Saeran in a state in which she knew he would never want anyone but Saeyoung to see him. This was a moment between the brothers which she was blessed enough to be there for, and all she could do was watch; she wasn’t a part of that, however close she was to both of them, _however close she hoped she was to Saeran_. There was too much that the brothers shared, too much that they had been through which she could never truly understand, never be a part of.

 

But this was fine; As long as she could watch over them, as long as she could be there for them, offering silent support and warm drinks when they needed exactly that comfort - that was enough.

 

Before her eyes, Saeran broke down. His face was scrunched up in an ugly frown, with flushed cheeks, and red eyes, and distress written all over him. For the first time since she’d moved in with the twins, Saeran broke down, leaned forward, initiated phisical contact. He leaned his forehead on an equally distressed Saeyoung’s shoulder, dragged his nose, let a single sob escape his lips as Saeyoung’s hands circled around him, held him gently, pressed the two of them closer to each other to give both of them the comfort they needed.

 

Everything was silent. For several minutes, everything was silent and still; neither brother moved, nor did MC - the moment was fragile and precious, and the smallest move could send it shattering like an expensive glass vase plummeting towards the ground. Eventually, Saeran’s silent sniffles stopped.The twins, however, held the embrace, neither one eager to pull back.

 

MC smiled. These boys had both been through so much together, it was no wonder they could comfort each other. She stood up, silently, walking to the kitchen to prepare some hot chocolate. She hadn’t been there for everything in their lives, but she was here now. And while she couldn’t understand everything they would always feel, that was alright. Because at the end of the day, what they needed was for someone to be there for them, and remind them that they weren’t alone, that they were loved, that they would now always have the family that they never had before.

 

And if that someone was her, and if she was going to be there for them with hot chocolate and sweet treats, well. That was enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My tumblr is @i-preen-for-oikawa and I'm down to screaming about fictional characters at any time so hmu <3


	4. Warm Drinks and Soft Blankets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> >   
>  _The coffee-shop was the type of place where you could sit for hours on end during cold winter days  
>  Saeran had never thought he would ever find shelter in a place like this, nor that he would ever take comfort from the presence of other people. Yet somehow, the RFA had been warming their way into his heart since the first moment they'd come into his life._   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long, but here it is! Chapter four of OLiMUoM (wow that is one long acronym)
> 
> I'm throwing in all of the fluff this chapter. I still have no beta, so if anyone would like to offer their services, I'm be really happy!
> 
> I meant to have more interaction with other characters this time around, but even here I barely squeezed Yoosung in, so I'm sorry about this, but I can promise that from here on out we'll only see more of the other characters, so look forward to that~
> 
> That said, enjoy!

The coffee-shop was the type of place where you could sit for hours on end during cold winter days.

It was one of those places that managed to feel very cozy while not, in fact, being the slightest bit cramped. There were comfortable chairs, and drapes, and warm artificial lighting, arm-chairs and couches, pillows and blankets. Despite all the different furnishings and the trinkets lying all around, every bit of space was used with efficiency, giving everyone more than enough space to walk around and sit, without cutting away any of the warmth that the place gave off in waves. You could clearly see all the soul that both Jaehee and MC had put into this place, trying to make it as homey and inviting as possible - it was more than just a coffee-shop, after all; it was basically a safe heaven for all of the RFA.

Saeran had to stop for a few seconds and remember yet again that he was, in fact, a real part of that group now, and this was as much a safe space for him as it was for any of the others.

He stared down at the hot chocolate in his hands, thinking over that once again, as he had been prone to for months now. _Too bad this place didn’t always shelter him from his own fucked up mind, too…_ Truthfully, even just the amazing beverages Jaehee made were enough of a reason to spend entire hours there, if Saeran were honest. They were delicious, and whatever he tried always seemed to warm him up down to his very core, making even his own thoughts leave him alone for a short while. He was almost insulted that someone with her amazing touch when it came to hot drinks had spent so much time wasting all of her talent by working as a secretary - _this_ was obviously her calling in life, and she’d been keeping this amazing gift away from the world!

He took a sip of the wonderfully-scented drink that lived up to every one if his -incredibly high- expectations. He then finally placed the mug down; a pity, since it was really warm and his hands were always cold due to bad circulation, but it was at that time that he remembered that he was not, in fact, alone at his table, and figured that he should at least give a bit of his attention to Yoosung, who currently sat curled up in the armchair across from his, covered in a red, fluffy blanket, much like Saeran himself was. He found, however, that his worry was unfounded. Yoosung was very obviously trying his hardest to stay awake while reading god-knows what book. He was, also, very obviously failing, if his drooping eyelids and and the way his head kept falling were anything to go by.

Saeran almost thought that the kid looked - dare he say it - endearing in that moment, but if he ever thought back on this moment, he would be quick to blame the odd thought on the weird mood he was always in whenever he sat in Jaehee and MC’s coffee-shop, blame it on how content he felt curled up in the armchair across from Yoosung, so close to falling asleep himself, blame it on the nightmares that had been keeping him from sleeping properly.

Some people always felt the need to fill any silence with useless chatter and meaningless interactions. In the RFA, though, he often found himself in situations like this, sitting together with someone and enjoying a peaceful silence together. That, more than anything, was probably part of why he was starting to feel at home in this odd group. The easy interactions, the silent comfort. If there was nothing to be said, they could be around each other in silence just as easily.

It was silence that was the worst for Saeran, normally. In silence, he couldn’t help but let his thoughts loose and _think_ , and whenever he would think about things, his bad thoughts would keep coming back; shadows of his old selves, trying to pull him back into the pit of despair that he had lived in all those years, before he’d even managed to figure out who he was beyond all of that suffering.

At times like this, though, it was fine. It was silent, but somehow, just like Jaehee’s drinks always managed to, being around the others seemed to keep the thoughts at bay.

Deciding to let Yoosung focus on his work, as much as he was able to, Saeran one again took hold of his mug, thinking for a second about MC’s mug cakes, before taking a couple more gulps of his flavoured hot chocolate. He spared a thought to the fact that whoever had first invented flavoured hot chocolate had been a real hero to this world.

“Hey, Saeran.” MC’s voice broke through the silence, and he looked up to notice her settling down in the armchair at the next table over. It looked to be softer than the one Saeran was on as she sank into it quite a bit, but the girl didn’t seem to mind. She was holding her own mug of what, based on her habits, he assumed to be coffee.

He nodded once to acknowledge her, deciding against asking the obvious ‘are you taking a break now’? Still, as the nearly functional human being that he has become, he does try to at least exchange a few words with her. “You tell my brother off for all the PHD pepper but you’re really no better with coffee. What is that, your fourth?” he asks, low enough that it’s only for her ears, yet his slight smirk hopefully makes it clear that his intention is merely to be playful. Well, mostly. The amounts of coffee that girl downs every working day is rather concerning, even for someone like him who really knew next to nothing about how to take care of himself.

She just giggled in response, winking mischievously at him as he told him to keep it a secret, and he might have lost a few years of his life. They proceeded to be silent for the following couple of minutes as they enjoyed their respective beverages, accompanied by the sounds of Jaehee fixing up a couple of drinks behind the counter for the few customers that were around at that time of day. Their peace was only broken by Yoosung suddenly closing the book he was trying, against all hope, to read, and stretching his hands in the air after the time spent in one position. His joints cracked as he stretched, and Saran’s heart did absolutely _not_ skip a beat at the blonde’s tiny, content sound.

_To his continued disgruntlement, Saeran found that he was becoming increasingly weak to cute things, a category which both MC and Yoosung fell into much too easily for his well-being._

“Hey, MC.” Yoosung smiled, and Saeran figured that he’d been so asleep, he hadn’t even noticed her join their table before now. Which really said a lot, to be honest - he really should be getting more rest. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, but would you mind helping me out a bit sometime? My hair’s been growing out, and I want to bleach my roots soon. I’ve been dying it by myself for a while now, but I could always use some help to reach the back of my head.

“Oh, sure! I’d love to help you out!”

Saeran watched the interaction with awe, feeling a bit like he was looking into the sun - much longer, and he wouldn’t be able to withstand the sheer amount of the metaphorical warmth and light both of them radiated as they smiled at each other so easily and naturally.

“You can come over this weekend. I’ll make Saeyoung take down his 50 layers of security, even. You haven’t been over since the party - why don’t you bring a game over, too? We could have a day out!” Saeran could actually see her eyes lighting up more as she got into her rambling spree. He may have had to hide a small smile behind his mug, but nobody would be able to prove it. “Oh! Saeran! We can make cookies!” her hands were shaking on her cup, he noticed. Never a good sign, as far as Saeran could tell.

“Yoosung, you wouldn’t believe it. Saeran makes the _best_ sweets I’ve ever tried, you’ve got to taste them. Ohhh, it’s going to be amazing! All three of us can have fun together! Do you think I could convince Saeyoung to take a day off and join us? I should talk to him, he’s been spending all his time at the shop! I’m happy he finally has the shop he’s always wished for but by God, he needs to take a break!”

Yoosung burst into a clear, pretty laughter and even Saeran was surprised when he found himself muffling a chuckle with his sleeve. So he had been right - she was thinking too much coffee. “MC, calm down.” He was still chuckling, but he placed down his mug on the table to free his hands. She was looking at him with wide eyes. The corners of her mouth were slowly pulling up into a smile. Even Yoosung looked a bit surprised, but the redhead fixed his attention back onto MC, reaching for the coffee she was holding. “You’ve had enough coffee for now.”

The girl switched the smile for a small pout, but she complied and let him take the coffee from her. She whined in the back of her throat, though, making these illegal puppy eyes and saying how ‘It’s gonna wear off in like, thirty minutes, anyway!’ but Saeran handed Yoosung the coffee, making a point to roll his eyes at her childish display. “Could you take this to Jaehee? You should probably move around a bit after sitting there for hours, and you should tell Jaehee not to let MC have any more coffee for now.” He knew from experience how bad it got for your body when you spent hours on end sitting in one place.

Yoosung beamed a dazzling smile in his direction as he took the mug - whatever was that for??? - and left towards the counter. Saeran turned to MC, who was smiling happily at him once again “What?” he questioned, slightly self-conscious.

“Nnh, nothing.” she shook her head. “It’s just… that’s the first time I’ve really heard you laugh.”

He blinked. Was it really? He knew he’d been smiling at least a bit during the last few weeks, but he hadn’t really realised this had probably been the first time he’d allowed himself to laugh. Maybe the first time ever, unless you counted the times when he’d been faced with people in pain, back when he had been with Mint Eye and the appropriate reaction to seeing people being drugged and hurt had seemed to be to laugh. He didn’t count them. 

Surprisingly enough, that knowledge more than anything caused the corners of his mouth to rise again into a small, but meaningful smile. ‘Thank you’, it said - towards his brother, MC, and all of RFA. It was met by the soft expression gracing MC’s face. She leaned closer, spreading her arms a bit, moving slowly. He could have pulled away at any time, but instead, he allowed the hug to happen. When, almost a minute later, she pulled back, the smile had left his face, but the warmth in his chest and in his eyes was still there.


End file.
